Academics Quote by Donald A. Norman
“Academics get paid for being clever, not for being right.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Design of Everyday Things (1990)
Intelligence is rewarded, but correctness is often overlooked in academia.
In simple terms: Smartness gets praise, not truth.
Value accuracy over cleverness.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- research
- teaching
- peer review
- policy making
- innovation
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can institutions reward correctness?
- What mechanisms ensure truth wins?
Encouraging cleverness may erode scientific rigor.